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Should Service members be bodybuilders?

I served with Leo Ingram when I was at Pearl Harbor Shipyard. Not detracting from the man's dedication to either Bodybuilding or the Navy, but he had it rough every 6 months when it came time to do the Physical Readiness test. The man couldn't run. He barely made it in a passing time.

With that in mind should service members be hardcore bodybuilders or does that level of dedication to the sport make us less fit for our duties and the requirements placed upon us by our jobs?

Dustin
"The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it."
John Ruskin

PHNS actually had a dozen chiefs on their Fitness Enhancement Program and had one discharged for failing their PRT's. It was a shore duty and the old CMC was a PT Nazi - he believed the goat locker leading from the front, he actually expected more from his chief's than he did the lower enlisted. So your statement is incorrect.

I was just interested in people's opinion about the various forms of weight training as it relates to military service. Some believe a more fitness focused work-out with lots of cardio is superior to a bodybuilding type program for military fitness, while others think powerlifting is better.

I like to do a powerlifting style workout. I think it develops more functional strength.

Dustin
"The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it."
John Ruskin

I think it should be more functional strength. I have been on many military bases and had thoughts in my head about the guys and girls i see there and think ok I weigh 240 and with gar on closer to 300 if i am wounded how is this little person going to pull me out of the field.... So i feel strength should be more important than can i run 8 miles not to say Cardiovascular fitness should be ignored but, the only strength training they are made to do is pushups and pullups...

I'm not sure what the physical demands of the Navy are since I served in the Army. Though, from an Army standpoint endurance is king. How strong you are doesn't mean shit if you can't move your muscular ass up a hill in time to lay suppressive fire.

There should be no bulk or fat off season for bodybuilders in the military. If people keep it around the 15% area max and they aren't pincushions they should be able to meet the minimum standards easily.

"He was a Chief, so he wanna gonna pass it no matter what."
That's funny.

Seriously though, in the navy, how much running do we really have to do to do our jobs? Who's hauling ass through the p-way to get to sweepers on time? Clampdown doesn't chase us anywhere, And standing quarterdeck watch doesn't exactly get my heart rate up. The biggest problem Big guys on my ship have is fitting through the scuttles.

Unless someone is SEAL, EOD, SWCC, etc, The fastest I see anyone move is liberty call after a weekend duty day.

"He was a Chief, so he wanna gonna pass it no matter what."
That's funny.

Seriously though, in the navy, how much running do we really have to do to do our jobs? Who's hauling ass through the p-way to get to sweepers on time? Clampdown doesn't chase us anywhere, And standing quarterdeck watch doesn't exactly get my heart rate up. The biggest problem Big guys on my ship have is fitting through the scuttles.

Unless someone is SEAL, EOD, SWCC, etc, The fastest I see anyone move is liberty call after a weekend duty day.

you must be surface sailor! Damn - I think the PRT cardio portion ought to be to put on an FFE with an SCBA and go from crews mess to shaft Alley to move an injured man to safety. But that's a regular drill on subs.

Dustin
"The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it."
John Ruskin

"He was a Chief, so he wanna gonna pass it no matter what."
That's funny.

Seriously though, in the navy, how much running do we really have to do to do our jobs? Who's hauling ass through the p-way to get to sweepers on time? Clampdown doesn't chase us anywhere, And standing quarterdeck watch doesn't exactly get my heart rate up. The biggest problem Big guys on my ship have is fitting through the scuttles.

Unless someone is SEAL, EOD, SWCC, etc, The fastest I see anyone move is liberty call after a weekend duty day.

This is so true! I love see the navy guy's try to come out and pt with the Marines, I never realized how hard we pt until we're with other branches.